Cal women beat Ducks for school-record 12th in row

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California guard Layshia Clarendon (23) reaches for the ball under Oregon forward Danielle Love (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Berkeley, Calif., Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

BERKELEY, Calif. -- The sixth-ranked California Golden Bears defeated the University of Oregon women’s basketball team, 77-55, on Friday evening at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. The win improved Cal’s record to 24-2 overall and 14-1 in Pac-12 Conference action. The Ducks dropped to 4-23 on the year and 2-13 in league action.

Oregon struggled from the field making 15-of-59 for 25.4 percent. The Ducks connected on just 6-of-26 of their 3-pointers for 23.1 percent. The Golden Bears made 40.3 percent of their field goals (29-of-72), including 42.1 percent from behind the 3-point arc (8-of-19).

Devyn Galland was the only Oregon player to reach double-figures in scoring. She netted 10 points, most of which came from the free throw line where she went 7-of-8. Jordan Loera added nine points and a team-best eight rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. Ariel Thomas contributed nine points, seven rebounds and a team-high four assists. Danielle Love and Liz Brenner each had eight points.

Cal had a 51-37 rebounding advantage in the game, a number that included 16 offensive boards. The Bears also had a 32-8 edge for points in the paint.

Oregon committed just 11 turnovers, the fewest for the Ducks since having 11 turnovers in their Jan. 15 game against Oregon State.

The Golden Bears were led offensively by Layshia Clarendon who had a team-high 14 points. She was joined in double-figures by Afure Jemerigbe (13 points), Talia Caldwell (10 points) and Gennifer Brandon (10 points). Caldwell also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double.

California jumped out to a 10-0 lead over the first five minutes as Oregon opened up the game by missing its first eight shots.

Alleyne snapped the scoreless drought after making one of two free throws at the 15-minute mark to put the score at 10-1. Thomas made Oregon’s first field goal with 13:30 on the clock, a pull-up 15-foot jumper from the left side.

The Ducks eventually found a rhythm offensively after the tough start. Galland banked in a 3-pointer from the left side and Brenner scored on a post move to cut the lead to four points, 14-10, with 9:20 in the first stanza.

A corner 3-pointer by Love tied the game at 18 points apiece with 4:50 on the clock. A free throw from Galland with 3:29 remaining in the half gave UO its only lead of the game, 19-18. Oregon out-scored Cal, 19-10 over an 11-minute span to take that lead.

Cal closed the rest of the stanza by out-scoring Oregon, 11-2, to take a 30-21 lead into the halftime locker room. Thomas led the Ducks with seven first-half points. UO shot 22.6 percent on field goals (7-of-31), while Cal made 29.3 percent of its field goals (12-of-41).

The two teams traded baskets to begin the second half. Cal took a 37-23 with 17:50 on the clock after a 3-pointer by Jemerigbe. Alleyne then scored four straight points to make it a 10-point game, 37-27. Oregon narrowed the lead to single-digits after Loera hit a 3-pointer from the corner to put the score at 37-30 with 16:54 remaining.

Cal then posted a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to take a commanding lead. Jemerigbe scored on a jumper in the lane to give the Golden Bears a 17-point advantage, 49-32, with 13:06 on the clock.

Amanda Delgado hit a 3-pointer at the 11:02 mark to cut the lead to 13 points, 52-39. Delgado then assisted on Oregon’s next field goal, a lay-up by Loera that put the score at 57-41 with nine and a half minutes in the game.

Love hit another 3-pointer to put the score at 61-46 with 7:42 remaining in the game. But the Ducks would not get any closer. The Bears largest lead of the game was 24 points, a 77-53 advantage with just under a minute left in the game.

Oregon (4-23, 2-13 Pac-12) returns to action on Sunday with a road game against No. 4 Stanford. That game will tip-off at 4 p.m. (PT) and air nationally on the Pac-12 Network.